BENGALURU: Former minister and AICC secretary Qamar Ul Islam passed away on Monday morning in Bengaluru, after suffering from cardiac arrest. He was 69 years old. The six-time MLA was admitted at Narayana Hrudalaya in the city.
It was only this July that he was appointed the AICC secretary-in-charge of Kerala. A six-time MLA from Kalaburagi region, he was currently the MLA from Kalaburagi's north constituency.
Islam started his political career as MLA in 1978, served three terms with the Muslim league and three more times with Congress. He also served as an MP from 1996-98 and was a minister in S M Krishna government. He held various portfolios like Housing, Labour, Municipal Administration, Public Enterprise and Minority Development. He was also the Waqf Minister in the Siddaramaiah government but was dropped during the 2016 reshuffle to make way for fresh faces.